Sheriff Lemmie Smith of Greene County says they have arrested 19 year-old Robert Smith of Stantonsburg, NC in connection with the deaths of James and Antwan Cox. Robert Smith now faces two counts of murder.

Sheriff Smith says the arrests happened just before 8 o’clock Monday night. Robert Smith was arrested at his residence at 1268 Sand Pit Road.

The Sheriff credits the arrest to good investigative work and help from the SBI. Smith’s home was searched about a month ago just before the burned bodies of the Cox brothers was found behind a barn at an abandoned hog operation near Walstonburg on July 30th.

During the search evidence was found that connected Smith to the murders although the sheriff declined to go into detail about what evidence was found. Only saying, “he was a person of interest. During our investigation his name kept popping up.” At the time Smith’s home was searched, Sheriff Smith says the suspect told them, “he had nothing to do with it.”

After the arrest Monday, Sheriff Smith says Robert Smith declined to comment on his involvement. The cause of death of the two brothers has still not been determined according to the sheriff.

Just last week DNA evidence identified the body of Antwan Cox while his brother James’s remains were positively identified about two weeks earlier.

The brothers were last seen on July 22nd on Pelletier Road in Greene County driving in the families Dodge Durango. They had told family members they were heading to Falkland to pick up some tires but the two never made it.

Sheriff Lemmie Smith was able to get a hold of cell phone records which lead investigators to the Walstonburg area. Smith said he was traveling down Knox School Road when he noticed a gate unlocked at an old abandoned hog farm where the burned bodies of the two men were found inside the SUV.

Sheriff Smith says his investigation is ongoing. “We still have some persons of interest,” Sheriff Smith said Monday.

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Sheriff Lemmie Smith says Robert Smith of Stantonsburg has been arrested.

Details are emerging....

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A second body has now been identified in the case of two brothers who went missing from Greene County, their bodies later found inside a burned vehicle behind an old hog farm.

Sheriff Lemmie Smith says DNA records have been used to identify both bodies as James and Antwan Cox.

Sheriff Smith says deputies do have a person of interest, but they do not yet know the cause of death.

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